Maine Craft Portland – Maine Crafts Association

VISIT + SHOP + LEARN

Maine Craft Portland is a retail gallery + resource center in the historic Mechanic’s Hall of downtown Portland, Maine. It promotes craft in Maine through exhibitions and public programming and directly benefits Maine craft artists through sales of their work. Maine Craft Portland opened in July 2018 and exhibits and sells the work of over 130 MCA member craft artists.

Events Calendar

Exhibitions

Artist Jury Info + Forms

2020 Winter Hours

Sunday – Closed
Monday – Thursday 10-6pm
Friday & Saturday 10-7pm

Closed January 2nd (Inventory Day)

Visit Us
521 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
207-808-8184
portland@mainecrafts.org

Maria Wolff, Manager: maria@mainecrafts.org

ABOUT MAINE CRAFT PORTLAND

One decade after opening the Center for Maine Craft, a retail gallery in West Gardiner, the Maine Crafts Association established a second retail gallery + resource center: Maine Craft Portland. Since the gallery opening in July 2018, the new space has continued the MCA’s mission to introduce Maine’s craftspeople to a national audience through exhibitions and public programming in the beautiful Mechanics Hall of downtown Portland. Together the Center for Maine Craft and Maine Craft Portland represent the work of over 400 craft artists and small businesses of Maine.

Maine Charitable Mechanic Association

HISTORICAL BUILDING MEETS MODERN MAKERS MOVEMENT

The Mechanics Hall is located in the vibrant Arts District of Portland. Across the street from Maine College of Art, blocks from the Portland Museum of Art, and home to an art supply store, it is only made more ideal by dovetailing missions of the Maine Charitable Mechanic Association and Maine Crafts Association. Mechanics Hall programming & events strengthen the MCA’s efforts and income opportunities. Maine Craft Portland represents Maine’s history of excellence in craft, reinforced by the impeccably preserved historical architecture, library, ballroom and classroom found in the levels above the retail space in this historical building.

MAINE CHARITABLE MECHANIC ASSOCIATION

The Maine Charitable Mechanic Association was founded in 1815 as a social organization that promoted and supported the skilled trades—blacksmiths, coopers, carpenters, and more—and their practitioners. Its original members were master craftspeople and entrepreneurs and their apprentices. Today MCMA works to connect that history to the modern makers movement by providing social support and a place for knowledge sharing, particularly from the older generation to the younger generation.

Mechanics’ Hall currently supports makers, members and the public with educational and other programming, and access to its historical library, ballroom and classrooms.

Mechanics’ Hall was completed in 1859 and is on the National Historic Register. It served as Portland City Hall after the infamous city-wide fire of 1866. It also housed and served meals to Union troops during the Civil War. An entire wall of historical, floor-to-ceiling hardwood and glass cabinets grace the MCA’s new retail gallery space. Thankfully, the building’s historical preservation status has protected the cabinets through the various tenants and uses of the building. The cabinets remain a dominant display and aesthetic component of Maine Craft Portland. They were built in the late 1800’s for a jewelry retailer and now offer an exciting design challenge incorporated with contemporary craft displays.

MAINE CRAFT PORTLAND WAS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THESE GENEROUS CONTRIBUTIONS: